How to Prevent Web & App Data Tracking on Your iPhone

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Apps that you install on your phone can sometimes track your web and app activity outside of those particular apps—even when you’re not using them. This activity data is often sold to third parties to help them make advertising decisions. With iOS 15, they can’t track your data on the iPhone without your permission, but sometimes it’s easier to just stop apps from asking in the first place. We'll show you how.

Related: iPhone Location History: How to Turn Off Significant Location Tracking

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Why You'll Love This Feature

• Limit add tracking on iOS universally with one set-it-and-forget-it toggle.
• Stop seeing pop-ups asking to track you every time you open a new app.
• Allow or disallow tracking on an app-by-app basis to support your favorite apps or any apps you trust with your data.

How to Turn Off App Tracking for All Apps

This is a multi-step process, but don’t worry! It’s pretty simple. Along the way I’ll also point out some optional privacy steps that may interest you. For more great privacy tips, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

To disable tracking for all apps:

1. Open the Settings app.
   
   
    
2. Scroll down and tap on Privacy.
   
   
    
3. Tap on Tracking, located near the top.
   
   
    
4. If the Allow Apps to Request to Track toggle is green, tap on the toggle to switch it off; it’ll turn gray.
   
   
    
5. If you’d like to read about this feature, you can also tap the blue Learn More link to see what kinds of information are involved in tracking.
   
   

It’s that simple! It’s worth noting though that certain apps like Google, Facebook, and other account-based sites may be able to continue tracking your data as part of your user agreement for their platforms.

How to Disable App Data Tracking on an App-by-App Basis

If you want to disable tracking for apps you've previously allowed to track you or let an app you denied track you after all, you can do that, too.

1. Go into the Settings app.
   
   
    
2. Scroll down and tap on Privacy.
   
   
    
3. You will see Tracking near the top. Tap on it.
   
   
    
4. You'll see a list of apps that have asked permission to track you.
5. If an app toggle is gray, you can tap on it to allow tracking for that app.
   
   
    
6. If a toggle is green, you can tap the toggle to disable tracking.
   
   

Optional Steps You May Find Helpful

If you’re concerned about advertising and data sharing, you may want to check the Apple Advertising setting as well. It’s a quick process.

1. In Settings, scroll down and select Privacy.
   
   
    
2. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Apple Advertising.
   
   
    
3. Here you can read about Apple Advertising and see what information is collected and used by tapping either of the blue links.
   
   
    
4. If you’d like to turn off personalized advertising, you can tap the Personalized Ads toggle to disable the function.
   
   

Now that you're well-versed in how to control which apps are able to track your activity, you can use your iPhone in peace!